Tbilisi To Tashkent Overlander - 34 day tour

Welcome to Georgia! On arrival in Tbilisi you can make your way to our start hotel and there’s a pre-departure Welcome Meeting at 18:00. The evening is then free for you to explore Georgia’s charming capital at leisure.
Overnight: Tbilisi

Today we take in the main sites of Tbilisi’s delightful and historic Old Town, visiting the fascinating National Museum, the Sioni Cathedral and Metekhi Temple, which sits on a hilltop overlooking the Mtkvari River. Optional activities later today include a trip to the Museum of Soviet Occupation, and you can walk up to the ancient Narikala Fortress for free to take in the incredible views of the city below.
Overnight: Tbilisi   |  Breakfast

Tbilisi - Lake Sevan (Armenia). Climb aboard our overland expedition truck for the first time today as we say goodbye to Tbilisi and head into neighbouring Armenia. After the border crossing, we’ll drive through the picturesque scenery of Dilijan National Park and may choose to camp somewhere in the park. Alternatively, we’ll continue to shimmering Lake Sevan, home to landlocked Armenia’s only beaches. We’ll camp near the shore of the lake.
Overnight: Dilijan NP / Lake Sevan  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lake Sevan - Yerevan. We set off this morning for the ancient city of Yerevan, one of the oldest continuously inhabited human settlements in the world. En route we’ll pay a visit to the impressive UNESCO-listed Geghard Monastery, which was carved from the rock face of the Azat River Gorge. Stop at the Graeco-Roman Garni Temple before finally arriving in Yerevan, where there’s free time to explore and an optional visit to the Ararat Brandy Museum during our stay.
Overnight: Yerevan

Yerevan - Armenian Highlands. Today we leave Yerevan and head into the remote Armenian Highlands. There’s a stop near the Turkish border at the Khor Virap Monastery, an important pilgrimage site in the shadow of towering Mt Ararat. On a clear day you’ll have fantastic views of this snow-capped peak. Tonight, we wild camp in the scenic Armenian Highlands.
Overnight: Armenian Highlands  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Armenian Highlands - Vardzia (Georgia). Today we cross back into Georgia and drive to the incredible Vardzia Caves. This subterranean city was built to protect medieval Georgians from invading Mongol hordes. Though mostly abandoned in the 16th century, the monastery in the well-preserved complex is still inhabited by a handful of dedicated monks and you'll be able to hear the bells ringing at 07:00.

We explore the caves either today or tomorrow morning and enjoy a night of wild camping close by.
Overnight: Vardzia  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Vardzia - Mtskheta. We explore the incredible Vardzia Caves if there wasn’t time yesterday, then make our way to Borjomi National Park. There’s time for a hike in the forest and you may wish to ride the cable car up the mountain. We then complete our journey to Mtskheta where we’ll discover the pretty Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
Overnight: Mtskheta   |  Breakfast, Dinner

Mtskheta - Stepantsminda. Today we drive to Stepantsminda, a town surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. During our stay in the town we’ll trek up to the tiny Tsminda Sameba Church, which is nestled in the hilly scenery. There’s also an optional Georgian cooking lesson where you can create delicious kinkhalis - Georgian meatballs.
Overnight: Stepantsminda   |  Breakfast, Dinner

Stepantsminda - Telavi. We journey to the wine-making region of Telavi on day 10 and spend the next two days exploring the area. Nearly every village in the region grows its own variety of grape and we’ll visit some local vineyards to watch aspects of the wine production process in action, including grape harvesting. On day 11 we enjoy lunch and wine tasting at a local winery, where we’ll experience some traditional Georgian hospitality.
Overnight: Telavi   |  Breakfast x 2, Dinner x 2

Telavi - Lagodekhi NP. Today we visit the ancient Gremi Citadel and journey into Lagodekhi National Park. Tonight, we’ll wild camp in the park, close to the border with Azerbaijan. Opt for a stroll through the park from our camping spot.
Overnight: Lagodekhi NP  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lagodekhi NP - Sheki (Azerbaijan). Say goodbye to Georgia today as we cross into the resource-rich country of Azerbaijan. We’ll drive to Sheki and visit the beautiful Khan’s Palace before arriving at our accommodation for the night. There’s a real treat in store as we stay in a hotel built inside an old Silk Road caravanserai, where weary merchants used to stop for a rest and to resupply their caravans.
Overnight: Sheki (Caravanserai)

Sheki - Lahij. Today we drive into the mountains to visit the small village of Lahij, which is known for its coppersmiths and arms production. We stay at a campsite with facilities close to the village tonight.
Overnight: Lahij  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lahij - Baku. On day 15 we visit Gobustan to see the ancient petroglyphs and bubbling mud volcanoes that the region is known for. Later we’ll arrive in bustling Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The city is a wonderful contrast, with ancient sites such as the Maiden Tower and the glistening skyscrapers that are a symbol of Azerbaijan’s growing prosperity, largely generated from oil.

At some point in the next couple of days we’ll take the ferry across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. However, the ferry timetable is notoriously unpredictable so our itinerary will have to be extremely flexible over the next few days. Please see the trip notes for more details. In the meantime, relax in vibrant Baku and explore as you please. We may be joined by new travellers for the next leg of our journey.
Overnight: Baku

Baku - Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan). Today we will hopefully be able to board the overnight ferry bound for Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. The ferry crossing is a fantastic and authentic experience but please don’t expect too much luxury! The crossing is an overnight journey but please note that there will generally only be seats available for the overnight crossing.
Overnight: Caspian Sea ferry

Today the ferry will hopefully dock in Turkmenbashi. Depending on timings we'll either stay at a local hotel in Turkmenbashi or begin our drive towards Ashgabat, finding a suitable spot to wild camp.

Please note: Due to the unpredictability of the ferry, please get your Turkmenistan visa issued with at least two 'flexible' days before the entry date given on the tour.
Overnight: Turkmenbashi OR wild camping

Turkmenbashi - Ashgabat. Day 19 is a travel day as we drive to Turkmenistan’s capital city, Ashgabat. Ashgabat is like nowhere else on the globe with its bizarre marble architecture, plethora of golden statues and unique attractions including the world’s largest indoor Ferris Wheel. On day 20 we enjoy a guided minibus tour of the city. New travellers may join us in Ashgabat for the next leg of our journey into Uzbekistan.
Overnight: Ashgabat   |  Breakfast x 2

Ashgabat - Darvaza. Driving north from Ashgabat, we head into the wild Karakum Desert and stop to admire the incredible Darvaza Gas Crater, known by the locals as the “Door to Hell”. These never-ending fires in the middle of the desert were created in 1971 when Soviet oil drillers accidentally caused the ground to collapse and gas to be released. They tried setting fire to the gas to burn it all off and it has been burning away ever since. After we’ve admired this unusual site we’ll find a spot to camp near the crater.
Overnight: Darvaza  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Darvaza - Kunye Urgench. Our drive across the Karakum Desert continues today and we stop to visit the ruined Silk Road city of Kunye Urgench, which was spared by Genghis Khan during his ruthless invasion. Highlights of the well-preserved settlement include the towering Kutlug-Timur Minaret, which is the highest minaret in Central Asia. Tonight, we camp in the desert close to the city.
Overnight: Kunye Urgench  |  Breakfast, Lunch

Kunye Urgench - Khiva (Uzbekistan). On day 23 we browse the market in the border town of Dashoguz before crossing into Uzbekistan. We then journey to the ancient city of Khiva, enjoying a guided tour the next day. Take in the well-preserved city walls and other highlights including the giant Kalta Minor Minaret, the blue palace of Tash Khovli and the incredible Juma Mosque. Afterwards, there's free time to explore at leisure.
Overnight: Khiva   |  Breakfast x 2

Khiva - Bukhara. Day 25 sees us embark on a long drive to the beautiful ancient city of Bukhara. There’s a guided tour on day 26 which takes in the Kalon Mosque, Ark Fortress and the Ismail Samani Mausoleum. We also see the giant Kalyan Minaret, which earned the nickname of "Death Tower" due to its historic use as a place of execution.

On day 27 you have plenty of free time to explore and there’s an optional excursion to the gruesome Zindon Prison, which was once notorious for the Bug Pit - prisoners were held here and lice, rats and scorpions were emptied onto their heads.
Overnight: Bukhara

Bukhara - Kyzylkhum Desert (Nurata). Today we venture into the wild Kyzylkhum Desert. There’s an optional camel ride over the rolling sand dunes and we spend the night in a traditional yurt tent near the town of Nurata.
Overnight: Nurata  |  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kyzylkhum Desert (Nurata) - Samarkand. This morning there’s time to hike in the Nurata Hills and take a dip in Lake Ajdar Kul if you wish. After lunch we drive to the Silk Road city of Samarkand, our home for the next three nights.
Overnight: Samarkand   |  Breakfast

On day 30 we enjoy a tour of the characterful Silk Road city of Samarkand. Visit sites including the beautiful Registan Square, Ulug Beg Observatory and the ruins of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The mosque was once the jewel in the empire of Timur, the famous warlord who was born in Samarkand. Optional activities on day 31 include a visit to the nearby city of Shakhrisabz.
Overnight: Samarkand  |  Breakfast x 2

Samarkand - Tashkent. Spend the morning of day 32 at leisure in Samarkand before we drive to the clean and modern Soviet style city of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The rest of today and tomorrow is free to explore or join optional activities. Perhaps visit the Hast Imam Square to see the world’s oldest copy of the Koran.
Overnight: Tashkent   |  Breakfast x 2